Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Public Appointments

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will list those persons appointed as chairs of non-departmental public bodies by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is responsible for the appointment of chairs to the following public bodies regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments:Great Britain China Centre: Martin DavidsonMarshall Aid Commemorative Commission: John HughesWestminster Foundation for Democracy: Henry Bellingham (political nominee)Imperial War Museum: Sir Francis RichardsAppointments to the chairs of the following non-regulated bodies also fall under FCO’s remit:British Council : Sir Vernon EllisWilton Park: Iain Ferguson

Ibrahim Sharif

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are making representations to the government of Bahrain about their responsibilities under international covenants that they have ratified, following the re-arrest of Ebrahim Sharif.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Our Ambassador in Bahrain has raised publicly his concern at the recent re-arrest of Ebrahim Sharif and urged the Bahraini authorities to ensure due process is followed. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), discussed human rights and political reform with the government of Bahrain during his visit for the UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group meeting in June. We will continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to meet all of its human rights obligations and adhere to all conventions to which it is a party.

Iran: Nuclear Weapons

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of recent talks, what assessment they have made of whether Iran's aspirations to produce a nuclear weapon have ceased.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: In the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, finalised on 14 July, Iran agreed that it will never seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons, and agreed to a far reaching set of measures to ensure that it will not be able to do so, including verifiable limits to its stockpiles of fissile material, numbers of centrifuges, nuclear research and development, and a re-design of its heavy water reactor at Arak. Having reached this important agreement, our focus and that of our E3+3 partners will now be on swift and full implementation to ensure that Iran abides by this and other commitments, and that a nuclear weapon remains beyond Iran's reach.

Libya: Islamic State

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in light of the recent terrorist attack in Tunisia, what strategy they have to prevent the further expansion of IS in Libya.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government remains concerned about the growing threat from extremist groups in Libya, including those affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). We have seen barbaric and appalling acts of terror inside Libya, including the brutal murders of Egyptian Coptic Christians and Ethiopian Christians. We are investigating possible links between ISIL in Libya and the recent terrorist attacks in Tunisia. We are working with Libya’s neighbours to enhance their capacity to tackle the threat.A lasting and inclusive political settlement and the establishment of a Government of National Accord (GNA) is the best way to tackle the threat in the long term. We stand ready to support the GNA on security issues, not least tackling ISIL, as soon as it is formed.

Tunisia: Terrorism

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultations took place with the government of Tunisia in advance of the most recent Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice for Tunisia being issued; and when those consultations took place.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Ministers and officials have remained in regular contact with the Tunisian authorities since the attack in Sousse on 26 June. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), spoke to Foreign Minister Baccouche on 27 June and Prime Minister Essid on 5 July. The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), met Interior Minister Gharsalli on 29 June alongside the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), who had previously spoken to Mr Gharsalli on 26 June.Our Ambassador to Tunisia spoke to Foreign Minister Baccouche on 27 June. He remained in regular contact with representatives of the Tunisian authorities including ministers between 5 and 9 July.The Foreign Secretary spoke again to the Tunisian Prime Minister on 9 July as the Travel Advice change was being made.

Afghanistan: Peace Negotiations

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support or advice they have offered to assist the peace talks between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban, further to the meeting in Islamabad on 7 July.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We, along with our international partners in Afghanistan, share a common vision for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned political process to bring an end to many years of conflict. We welcome the talks on 7 July in Pakistan and will continue to work closely to provide what support we can to Afghanistan in their pursuit of a negotiated settlement.

Russia: Sanctions

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have on whether sanctions against Russia have been breached by (1) British companies, (2) other European Union companies, and (3) Asian companies, particularly in relation to the energy industry.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK takes enforcement of sanctions seriously. Violating sanctions is a criminal offence that can carry a significant custodial sentence. We cannot comment on individual criminal cases or sanctions breaches.

Forced Marriage Unit

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many cases the Forced Marriage Unit was involved in, or gave support and advice to, in 2014.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) provides a range of support and assistance in cases where British nationals are at risk of forced marriage in the UK or overseas. In 2014, the FMU gave advice or support related to a possible forced marriage in 1267 cases.

Forced Marriage

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many British girls were sent abroad to marry in 2014.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Not all forced marriage cases are reported to the British Government's Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), which makes it impossible to make an accurate assessment on how many British girls may have been sent abroad to marry.British girls may be sent abroad to marry with their full consent in the form of an arranged marriage. If the girl does not have the right to say no this becomes a forced marriage. The UK is a world leader in tackling forced (and early) marriage. It is child abuse, domestic abuse and a form of violence against women and men and a serious abuse of human rights.The FMU dealt with 1267 cases in 2014. 77% of cases dealt with by the FMU in 2014 involve an overseas element, which means the victim is at risk of, or has been, taken overseas.The number of cases the FMU deals with does not represent the number of British girls (and boys) being sent overseas for a forced marriage, but the number of calls and emails initiating contact with the FMU about a victim or potential victim.

Forced Marriage

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how many underage British girls were sent abroad to marry in 2014.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Not all forced marriage cases are reported to the British Government's Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), which makes it impossible to make an accurate assessment on how many underage British girls may have been sent abroad to marry.The UK is a world leader in tackling forced (and early) marriage. It is child abuse, domestic abuse and a form of violence against women and men and a serious abuse of human rights.The FMU dealt with 1267 cases in 2014. 77% of cases dealt with by the FMU in 2014 involve an overseas element, which means the victim is at risk of, or has been, taken overseas.In 22% of cases dealt with by the FMU in 2014 the victim was under 18 years old. The number of cases the FMU deals with does not represent the number of underage British girls (and boys) being sent overseas for a forced marriage, but the number of calls and emails initiating contact with the FMU about a victim or potential victim.

China: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the circumstances surrounding the arrest of more than one hundred political activists and human rights lawyers in China on 11 July.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We pay close attention to the human rights situation in China, and are concerned by reports of the detention of a number of human rights lawyers since 9 July 2015. We believe that rule of law, good governance and a transparent legal system are vital underpinnings for stability and will continue to engage China on these issues.We support the EU statement of 15 July, which said the detentions raised serious questions about China's commitment to strengthening the rule of law and called for the release of all those detained for seeking to protect rights provided by the Chinese Constitution.We have raised our concerns about the ongoing restrictions on civil society activity in China, including with the Chinese authorities during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in April this year.

China: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have, and what representations they have made, about the arrest in China of human rights lawyers, including Li Fangping, and Christian lawyers, including Li Heping and Zhang Kai.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are concerned by reports of the detention of a number of human rights lawyers and activists since 9 July. We are also deeply concerned that many of those detained cannot be contacted. We have regular discussions with the Chinese authorities, including on human rights and rule of law issues. We have raised our concerns about ongoing restrictions on civil society activity in China, including during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in April. We support the EU statement of 15 July on these detentions.

Zimbabwe: Pensions

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to use overseas superannuation funds to pay pensioners owed money by the government of Zimbabwe; and, if so, when they will do so.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The legal and moral responsibility to pay pensions to former Rhodesian and Zimbabwean public servants sits with the Government of Zimbabwe. The British Government continues to remind the relevant authorities in Zimbabwe of this legal commitment. Following our most recent approach the Government of Zimbabwe wrote to us on 27 May. They explained that pension repayments remain affected by current financial constraints in Zimbabwe and the state of the wider economy. Nonetheless, at our prompting they committed to continuing to seek a solution.

Namibia: Germany

Lord Steel of Aikwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Germany regarding the return of items, including human skulls, taken from German South-West Africa in the early twentieth century and exported to European institutions.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government has not held discussions with the German Government on this matter.

Mohamed Nasheed

Lord Bilimoria: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to secure the release of Mohammed Nasheed, former President of the Maldives.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), regularly raises former President Nasheed’s case, and those of others, with the Maldivian government, as has the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron). Both individually met Mr Nasheed’s wife and representatives of his legal team on 24 June, after which the Prime Minister called for the release of all political prisoners in the Maldives, including Mr Nasheed. Mr Swire has also discussed these matters with the Commonwealth Secretary General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and many other concerned international partners.

South Sudan and Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of how many peacekeepers in Sudan and South Sudan have been attacked between 2005 and 2014, excluding carjackings and household robberies; and how many of those incidents resulted in a significant loss of weapons and ammunition from United Nations and African Union Peace operations in Darfur and South Sudan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We do not keep a record of the number of specific incidents, but there is no reason for us to doubt the findings of the Small Arms Survey report that there have been over 100 attacks on peacekeepers in Sudan and South Sudan between 2005 and 2014, the vast majority in Darfur. We are unable to independently estimate how many of these incidents resulted in a significant loss of weapons and ammunition.

South Sudan and Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the recent report by Small Arms Survey, Under Attack and Above Scrutiny? Arms and Ammunition Diversion from Peacekeepers in Sudan and South Sudan, 2002–14, and in particular the conclusion that "the losses of arms and ammunition by peacekeepers are larger and more frequent than previously appreciated, and can be reduced".

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Officials are currently reviewing the Small Arms Survey report. We encourage the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations to do more to tackle the losses of arms and ammunition.

South Sudan and Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recommendations they have for measures and actions that could be taken to reduce the losses of arms and ammunition by peacekeepers in Darfur, Sudan and South Sudan; whether they have presented these to UN and African Union agencies; and if so, what was the response.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are currently reviewing the Small Arms Survey report. However, we would advocate similar rules and regulations as used by UK Armed Forces, namely that arms and ammunition should always be secured, in different locations and by different trained personnel, when not being used for their primary purpose on operations. We will seek the views of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations on how they propose to tackle the losses of arms and ammunition.

Gaza: Armed Conflict

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government following the recent report by Medical Aid to Palestinians, what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the death of Anas Qdieh.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, we are pressing Israel to demonstrate accountability for its actions during Operation Protective Edge. The Israeli Military Advocate General continues his investigations into specific incidents and complaints are filed on behalf of Palestinian residents in Gaza or by Israeli, Palestinian or international non-governmental organisations. The Israeli State Comptroller has also launched an investigation into military and political decision making processes during Operation Protective Edge. We will continue to follow these investigations closely.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to support the five-year ceasefire currently under discussion between Israel and Hamas.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We would support any moves that could deliver progress towards a durable peace in the Middle East.

Israel: West Bank

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel concerning their decision to start building the separation wall in the Cremisan Valley in Beit Jala.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Officials raised our concerns about the route of the separation barrier with contacts in the Israeli National Security Council, the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Defence on 9 July.Also on 9 July, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), issued a press statement on the Israeli Supreme Court's decision regarding the barrier.The UK position on the Separation Barrier is clear: if Israel wished to build the Barrier, it should have been built on the 1967 border – and where it is constructed on the Palestinian side of that border, it is illegal under international law.

British Chamber of Commerce Myanmar

Baroness Nye: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding is provided each year for the British Chamber of Commerce in Burma.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Last year (2014/15) the British Chamber of Commerce in Burma received £70,400 of funding from UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and this year (2015/16) it will receive £102,400. It will deliver 130 company interventions in 2015/16. This funding is part of UKTI’s Overseas Business Network Initiative, a change programme increasing the role of the private sector, including Chambers of Commerce and Business Groups, in providing support for UK exporters.

Burma: Bell Pottinger Group

Baroness Nye: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any United Kingdom Government officials or Ministers have met any representatives of Bell Pottinger regarding Burma.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Our Ambassador to Burma and the Director of UK Trade and Investment in Rangoon have met representatives from Bell Pottinger in the last year, in order to provide political and economic overviews of the country.

Burma: Islam

Baroness Nye: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what analysis they have made of the assessment by the Burmese Muslim Association that the government of Burma is encouraging anti-Muslim activities in that country.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain extremely concerned by instances of religious intolerance in Burma, particularly as the November parliamentary elections approach. Specific concerns include the restriction on the Rohingya community, the rise of Buddhist nationalism, hate speech and anti-Muslim violence, and the introduction of potentially discriminatory faith-based legislation. We have raised our concerns in detail both bilaterally and in company with our partners in the EU and will continue to raise this issue in our dealings with the Burmese authorities, both in public and in private. We also work closely with civil society on these issues in Burma, particularly during our visits to Rakhine State, where the UK is one of the largest bilateral donors of humanitarian assistance.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

Lord Luce: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the issues of migration and conflict resolution will be on the agenda of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta in November.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The agenda for November’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) has yet to be announced by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the hosts, the Government of Malta. On 22 July in Valletta, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), discussed the agenda for the meeting with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of Malta.The UK is committed to strengthening the Commonwealth’s focus on promoting democratic values and development. We are engaging with Maltese and other partners to ensure a successful CHOGM produces tangible outcomes that make best use of the Commonwealth’s global networks.

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they are providing to the authorities in Pakistan to ensure the protection of religious minorities across Pakistan; whether they plan to make representations to the government of Pakistan urging them to reform the blasphemy laws and to provide effective safeguards against their abuse; and whether they plan to call for the immediate and unconditional release of Asia Bibi, and take effective steps to guarantee her safety and that of her family.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to fulfil the human rights obligations set out in the Constitution of Pakistan and international law, including those related to religious minorities.In November 2014 the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised concerns about the application of blasphemy laws in Pakistan with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), raised similar concerns with Prime Minister Sharif in December 2014. In June 2015, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), conveyed to the High Commissioner for Pakistan our ongoing concern about the application of the blasphemy law in Pakistan. We will continue to follow closely developments related to freedom of belief and to engage the Pakistani authorities on this issue.We remain deeply concerned about the case of Ms Asia Bibi. We continue to work through the EU to make clear to the Pakistani authorities and people the importance we attach to this case, and our concerns about the blasphemy laws in Pakistan more broadly.

Sudan: Christianity

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to make representations to the Sudanese authorities about dropping the charges against the 10 female Christian students charged last month with "indecent dress"; and whether they plan to press the Sudanese authorities to repeal Article 152 of the Criminal Act 1991.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Officials at our Embassy are following closely the case of 10 women charged with “indecent dress” and are in contact with their legal team. The British Government regularly raises concern with the Government of Sudan over Article 152 of the Criminal Act 1991, often referred to as Sudan’s “public order law”, and its discriminatory application as part of our ongoing Human Rights dialogue. In addition, the issue was highlighted in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s in-year human rights update published on 15 July. We have also called for the Government of Sudan to bring all legislation in line with its commitments to their citizens in the Interim Constitution of 2005.

NATO

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many copies of the NATO Fact Sheet "Russia's top five myths about NATO" have been circulated (1) in the United Kingdom, and (2) to members of both Houses of Parliament.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government has not circulated any North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) fact sheets in the UK or to Members of Parliament or the House of Lords. However, we do commend them to all Members as an excellent resource, and I attach NATO’s “Russia’s top five myths about NATO” fact sheet to this answer and am placing a copy of it in the Library of the House. This and other fact sheets are freely available on NATO’s website. NATO’s own figures show that around 7700 UK-based users have accessed its “NATO-Russia relations: the facts” webpage, while many thousands more have engaged with its content via social media. Additionally, since the start of the Russia/Ukraine crisis the Government has regularly exposed Russian myths through social media, including promoting NATO’s myth busting content. We will look for further opportunities to bring such valuable info to the attention of this House. 



fact sheet 'Russia's top five myths about NATO'
(PDF Document, 170.49 KB)

NATO

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much has been spent on publicising NATO and its role in the United Kingdom for each of the last three years.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The information requested is not held centrally in the format requested, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

NATO

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of zero nominal growth in NATO's civil budget on the additional tasks given to NATO at the Wales Summit.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government places the highest priority on the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) delivering the commitments made at the Wales Summit, which will strengthen the Alliance to ensure it is able to respond to the full range of new and emerging threats. Good progress has been made in 2015 towards delivering the Wales package with Zero Nominal Growth civil budgets in place. For example NATO has reprioritised resources towards Cyber Defence, enabling its funding to rise by 116 per cent within existing resources. The NATO Civil Budget for 2016 remains under discussion, but we are pressing NATO to continue to prioritise resources as necessary towards delivering the Wales agenda. We support the Secretary General’s drive for adaptation of the organisation, which we hope will promote greater prioritisation and smarter use of resources, allowing NATO to respond quickly to evolving security challenges.

Tibet: Religious Freedom

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have discussed freedom of religion and belief in Tibet with the government of China since the death in prison of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche; and if so, when.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We pay close attention to the human rights situation in China, and remain concerned by all restrictions to freedom of religion or belief, including in Tibet. We have raised the case of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche with the Chinese authorities on a number of occasions, including during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in April this year. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), also raised this case during Westminster Hall Debates on Tibet in June and last December, and urged the Chinese authorities to consider him for medical parole.Although we have not raised the issue of freedom of religion or belief with the Chinese authorities since Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s death, we support and encouraged the EU statement of 15 July, which said the EU expected the Chinese authorities to investigate and make public the circumstances surrounding Tenzin’s death. We will continue to raise our concerns through the EU, and as part of our wider relationship with China.

NATO: Finance

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the United Kingdom contribution to NATO's civil budget in each of the last five years.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The figures for the last 5 years for which they are available are in the table below:DATE (UK FINANCIAL YEAR)2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-15UK CONTRIBUTION TO NATO CIVIL BUDGET (£GBP)21,304,775.80 22,629,075.15 19,213,066.08 19,391,543.64 18,438,652.39 The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Civil Budget ceiling has been maintained at Zero Nominal Growth for the last five years, with the exception of pensions. The UK contribution to the civil budget each year takes account of other variables: monthly amendments to account for changes in the official exchange rate between the pound and the Euro; NATO adjustments to the call for contributions from Allies to allow for an offset of income received by NATO such as bank interest and for under spends on the budget; and adjustments in the percentage contribution attributable to the UK, which are calculated biannually on the basis of countries’ Growth National Income, and on the number of NATO members contributing.

Iran: Nuclear Power

Baroness Manzoor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the nuclear agreement with Iran, what plans they have for securing European interests in Iran.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Since President Rouhani’s election in 2013, we have been exploring the scope for improving our bilateral relations with Iran, on a step by step basis. Last week’s nuclear agreement between the E3+3 and Iran offers the potential to take this further. It is a robust and verifiable deal which addresses our, and the EU’s, proliferation concerns. When Iran has implemented its commitments under the deal, the international community will lift some of its sanctions, delivering significant economic and financial benefits, and offering the potential to expand trade and investment between the EU and Iran. The UK and other EU partners continue to have other serious concerns about Iranian policy, for example its approach to terrorism and respect for human rights; these are unchanged with the deal.

Iran

Baroness Manzoor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that there is an agenda within Europe and Saudi Arabia for engaging with Iran with respect to conflict resolution in the Middle East.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Like our EU partners, we continue to have serious concerns about Iran’s role in parts of the Middle East such as Syria and Yemen, and its support to militant groups such as Hizballah and Hamas. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), most recently spoke to President Rouhani about these issues on 16 July. He also spoke to King Salman of Saudi Arabia about the issues on the same day. As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), said on 15 July, the recent nuclear agreement with Iran has the potential to change the dynamics in the region in a positive way. We will continue to encourage Iran to re-align its approach in support of the international community’s efforts, in particular in confronting the challenge of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and resolving the crises in Yemen and Syria. We have also encouraged the Gulf Co-operation Council to strengthen its dialogue with Iran.

Israel: Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 15 July on Iran's nuclear programme, whether during the visit to Israel they have plans to initiate discussions with the government of Israel with a view to inviting them to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The British Government continues to call on Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state. In that regard we also continue to call on Israel to agree a full scope Comprehensive Safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Department for International Development

Famine

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to respond to the latest report by the Famine Early Warning System, which highlights the risk of worsening food security.

Baroness Verma: The Department for International Development monitor the Famine Early Warning System (FEWS) reports and updates on a weekly basis. We also contribute to improving the methodology used for these assessments. FEWS produce many reports and cover many regions and countries, although not all of the countries at risk. When the risk of a significant worsening food security situation is reported by FEWS or others, DFID engages in a dialogue with other governments and with our operational partners on the best possible early response.In places where we have a comparative advantage, such as countries where we have offices and an on-going bilateral programme, we fund food security, livelihood and nutrition interventions.In countries most often at risk we also run resilience and food security programmes aimed at making communities more robust to future deterioration in food security or shocks such as droughts, floods and other natural disasters.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Radicalism

Lord Trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made with regard to the running of the Ibaana Programme in prisons.

Lord Faulks: One of the Secretary of State’s earliest priorities has been to look closely at the way in which the Ministry of Justice, and specifically the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), deals with the threat from extremism and radicalisation in prisons and probation, and whether the response to that threat is effective. It is clear that the threat is evolving and increasing globally and it is crucial that the response, not just in my department but across government, rises to the growing challenge. As part of his initial assessment the Secretary of State decided to halt the proposed de-radicalisation programme Ibaana, as its approach is not consistent with the principles set out in the Prime Minister’s speech in Munich in February 2011, and reinforced by his speech on 20 July 2015. The Secretary of State has also asked the Ministry of Justice, supported by external expertise, to review our overall approach to dealing with Islamist extremism in prisons and probation. This will include considering whether the Ibaana programme should be replaced and if so what a replacement should look like.  The Ministry of Justice will continue to be closely involved in the cross government work currently underway on developing de-radicalisation programmes.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Gaming Machines

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what reasons or independent research underpin the present £100 limit on betting on fixed-odds betting terminals.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: In setting stakes and prizes limits the Government takes into account advice from the Gambling Commission – as the Government’s statutory advisor on gambling regulation – as well as available research and other evidence. The last review of stakes and prizes took place in 2013. We are working with the Gambling Commission and industry to ensure that the new measures brought in earlier this year – including restrictions for the maximum unsupervised stake on B2 gaming machines (known as ‘fixed-odds betting terminals’) – are effectively evaluated. If need be we will take action if these controls are found to be insufficient.

BBC

Lord Soley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement on the BBC by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 16 July, whether they plan to publish full details of the programme of public consultation proposed for the BBC; and how the public will be informed and advised about that programme.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The BBC Trust is planning a wide ranging programme of activity to engage the public. This will encompass a public consultation, separate and complementary to that launched by government. It will also include a seminar series that will be open to the public and programmes of research and online engagement. Information on these events will be included on the Charter Review area of the .gov.uk website.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Open Water Market

Lord Whitty: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much public funding has been spent on Open Water, and why it has been wound up and the Open Water programme taken over by Ofwat and Market Operating Services Limited.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Open Water is the programme responsible for the design and delivery of the new retail market. It has not been wound up. It includes the work of Defra, Ofwat, and Market Operator Services Limited (MOSL), which is a private company owned by market participants. MOSL’s precursor, Open Water Markets Limited, is being wound-up, following the transition of the majority of its functions to MOSL.   For further information please see Ofwat’s information notice IN 15/08 (Opening a new retail market for non-household customers – roles, responsibilities and governance for the Open Water programme after May 2015). This is available on Ofwat’s website.   The Open Water programme is funded by contributions from water and sewerage companies. In June 2015, Open Water published an update on the programme budget (Revised budget for implementing the new water and wastewater retail services market in England – the Open Water programme), which is available on Ofwat’s website.

Rights of Way

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of landowners affected by the judgment in R (on the application of Andrews) v Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs [2014] EWHC 1435 (Admin).

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to minimise the impact of the judgment in R (on the application of Andrews) v Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs [2014] EWHC 1435 (Admin) on landowners; and whether the Secretary of State plans to meet relevant stakeholders to discuss the issue.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Local highway authorities are responsible for protecting the rights of the public to use footpaths and other rights of way, and for holding records associated with their public rights of way network. Consequently, Defra does not have the information required to make an assessment of the number of landowners who may be affected by the judgment.   However, we recognise that there may be a significant number of claims which could come forward following the case. The Ramblers estimated 500 – 1000 in court. This would have an impact both on landowners, in defending any claims, and on local authorities, in dealing with such claims.   We are introducing a package of rights of way reforms; the primary provisions were part of the Deregulation Act 2015. Those reforms will significantly improve and streamline the processes for recording and altering the public rights of way network. The reforms will commence the cut-off date, 2026, for the recording of historic (pre 1949) public rights of way, which will bring certainty to landowners. Claims to record routes as a result of the judgment will be subject to this cut off. Other measures which will be of benefit to landowners include that a right of way can be diverted or the width reduced before being recorded. This would be by agreement between the local authority and landowner, removing the scope for such agreement to be blocked by objections. Organisations that represent landowners are members of the Stakeholder Working Group which developed the rights of way reform package.   The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs meets regularly with interested stakeholders and we encourage users and landowners to work together to balance the needs for access with those who own or work land, continuing the good work of the Stakeholder Working Group.

Fossil Fuels: Licensing

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the recent consultation on new standard rules for onshore oil and gas activities related to offering standardised permits to oil and gas companies, what assessment they have made of the safety of flaring which suggests that flow-testing, small-scale fracturing operations and acid washing should only take place 10 metres from any watercourse and 200 metres from the nearest residents.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The proposed standard rules do not cover the flaring of gas. If an operator wants to flare waste gas they will need to apply to the Environment Agency for a bespoke environmental permit.   The separation distances specified in the proposed standard rules relate to surface water, groundwater and European Designations. The Environment Agency considers that these distances provide effective protection.

Fossil Fuels: Licensing

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the consultation on new standard rules relating to onshore oil and gas activities was held over the period of the General Election, in the light of the Consultation Principles, which state that consultations should not generally be launched during local or national election periods; whether they sought advice from the Propriety and Ethics team in the Cabinet Office prior to running the consultation, and if not, why not; and whether they now intend to rerun the consultation.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The consultation for the proposed standard rules was released on 23 March 2015, before the start of the pre-election period which began on 30 March. As such, permission was not required from the Propriety and Ethics team in the Cabinet Office and the consultation continued as normal. The consultation ran for the full 12 week period, until 15 June, five weeks after the election was held.   The Environment Agency is considering all responses to the consultation and will publish a full response.

Fossil Fuels: Licensing

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for continuing to apply individual scrutiny to applications for permits for unconventional oil and gas exploration, in the light of the variation in the conditions of possible sites and the levels of public concern regarding unconventional oil and gas exploration projects.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Operators proposing to explore for oil and gas using hydraulic fracturing or flaring will continue to require bespoke environmental permits from the Environment Agency, which will be subject to a detailed site specific risk assessment and public consultation, with extra consultation for sites of high public interest.

Northern Ireland Office

Parades Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the determinations by the Northern Ireland Parades Commission are not made available to the public.

Lord Dunlop: All determinations made by the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland are published on the Commission’s website.

Parades Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government who selected the members of the Northern Ireland Parades Commission; and on what grounds those members were selected.

Lord Dunlop: In accordance with Schedule 1 of the Public Processions (NI) Act 1998, the Secretary of State appointed the Chair and members of the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland, based on the recommendations of a selection panel, which included independent representation.The appointments process was regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) and run in accordance with the Commissioner’s Code of Practice.The selection panel considered the suitability of all candidates against the published person specification and skill requirements:“Person Specification Outstanding individuals are sought to become Chair and members of the Parades Commission; people who can command the confidence of all sides of the community in Northern Ireland, act in controversial situations and determine courses of action, and assess the probability of future events and make clear and well informed judgements.Essential SkillsCandidates for these demanding roles will need to demonstrate:-§ The courage and conviction to take difficult but fair decisions in high profile and controversial circumstances;§ The ability to build productive and respectful relationships with fellow Commissioners, colleagues and the communities which are impacted by the Commission’s decisions; and§ A reputation for personal integrity, professional conduct and credibility, with an exceptional sense of propriety.In addition, candidates for the Chair role need to be able to show a strong track record of leadership, and the ability to broker consensus between senior stakeholders and opposing views.”

Parades Commission

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many applications there were in the most recent round of appointments to the Northern Ireland Parades Commission.

Lord Dunlop: The most recent public appointment process for the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland was launched during week commencing 2nd February 2015; 68 applications were received and considered by the selection panel.

Department of Health

Department of Health: Public Appointments

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will list those persons appointed as chairs of non-departmental public bodies by the Department of Health.

Lord Prior of Brampton: A list of chairs of the Department’s non-departmental public bodies is as follows:   Organisation Chair Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory CommitteeJohn ReesAdvisory Committee on Clinical Excellence AwardsWilliam WorthBritish Pharmacopoeia CommissionKevin TaylorCare Quality CommissionMichael MireCommission on Human MedicinesStuart RalstonCommittee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the EnvironmentDavid LovellFood Standards AgencyTim BennettHealth and Social Care Information CentreKingsley ManningHealth Education EnglandKeith PearsonHealth Research AuthorityJonathan MontgomeryHuman Fertilisation and Embryology AuthoritySally CheshireHuman Tissue AuthoritySharmila NebhrajaniIndependent Reconfiguration PanelBernard RibeiroMedicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory AgencyMichael RawlinsMonitorJoan HanhamNational Institute for Health & Care ExcellenceDavid HaslamNHS Blood and TransplantJohn PattulloNHS Business Services AuthoritySilla MaizeyNHS Commissioning BoardMalcolm GrantNHS Litigation AuthorityIan DilksNHS Pay Review BodyJerry CopeNHS Pensions BoardRachel CourtNHS Trust Development AuthorityPeter CarrPublic Health EnglandDavid HeymannReview Body on Doctors' and Dentists' RemunerationPaul CurranStanding Commission on CarersDavid Croisdale-Appleby Further details about appointments made to the Department of Health’s public bodies are published routinely at:   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dh-non-executive-appointments

Dementia: Chinese

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether a strategy has been developed for dealing with dementia in the United Kingdom's Chinese community.

Lord Prior of Brampton: On 21 February 2015, the Prime Minister launched his new Challenge on Dementia 2020, which builds on the achievements of the Prime Minister’s challenge on dementia 2012-2015. It sets out the vision for dementia care, support, awareness and research to be transformed by 2020.   Through the 2020 Challenge, we wish to see an increase in the proportion of people of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic origin with dementia who receive a diagnosis of dementia, enabled through greater use by health professionals of diagnostic tools that are linguistically or culturally appropriate and post-diagnosis support to meet the specific needs of local communities.   We will work with key stakeholders on developing the implementation plan for the 2020 Challenge to ensure that real and sustainable improvements are delivered for people with dementia, their carers and families.

Air Pollution

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they have issued to pedestrians, cyclists and drivers in London and other major cities about the use of anti-pollution face masks.

Lord Prior of Brampton: No formal advice has been issued by Her Majesty’s Government to pedestrians, cyclists and drivers in London or other major cities about the use of face masks.

Cancer: Health Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the work of the Independent Taskforce developing the five-year action plan for cancer services has been paused.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The work of the independent Cancer Taskforce has not been paused. The taskforce’s report, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: A Strategy for England 2015-20, was published on 19 July 2015 and the chairman of the Taskforce organised a Parliamentary briefing on 21 July which was attended by Members of both Houses.   A copy of the report is attached, and it can also be found at the following link:   www.cancerresearchuk.org/sites/default/files/achieving_world-class_cancer_outcomes_-_a_strategy_for_england_2015-2020.pdf 



Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes
(PDF Document, 4.91 MB)

Health Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to assess the costs and benefits of the closure of the Health Gateway Hub.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment was made of the impact of closing the Health Gateway Hub on the use of project and programme assurance, and any consequential impact on good practice and governance.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Until, February 2015 the Department funded, free of charge to the receiving organisation, such reviews throughout the health system. This cost the Department in the region of £1 million in the last financial year. In light of the ongoing financial constraints and the implementation of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, in February this year the Department’s Senior Leadership Team took the decision to cease providing such reviews free of charge. There has been no cost to the Department in closing the Health Gateway Hub.   In ceasing the funding for the provision of Gateways across the health system, the Department undertook a consultation exercise with those organisations that had made most use of the service to understand whether they would still use the service on a self-paid for basis; whether they would be willing to co-ordinate such reviews themselves; or whether there was a need for a centralised co-ordination function for such reviews in the future. Responses to this consultation have been mixed with some organisations offering to provide their own co-ordination and others interested in pursuing a jointly co-ordinated model.   Gateway reviews continue to be used within the Department and it is also in consultation with its arms length bodies to understand the demand for a shared co-ordination function between those bodies. NHS England is currently considering the arrangements it may need to put in place to support business needs.   In the short term, the Department continues to provide a list of accredited reviewers to organisations that wish to undertake Gateway reviews in the future. However, it is for the individual organisations to co-ordinate and fund such reviews themselves.

Diabetes: Health Services

Lord Morris of Aberavon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the regional variations in people with Type 1 Diabetes meeting very few treatment targets; what proposals they have to remedy this; and over what timescale.

Lord Morris of Aberavon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the reasons only 41 per cent of those with Type 1 Diabetes received the eight recommended care processes, compared with 62 per cent of those with Type 2 Diabetes.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Despite the overall improvement in the quality of NHS services for people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes over recent years, variations in the delivery of management and care still remain.   We have taken action to address this through the publication of the Healthier Lives diabetes tool which can be found on the Public Health England website at the following address:   http://healthierlives.phe.org.uk/   This interactive tool provides information on the variation in the treatment of diabetes, including type 1, at a local level. In addition, as part of NHS England’s ongoing assurance of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), progress against the CCG outcome indicator set, which includes an indicator on delivery of the eight care processes, is reviewed.   Driving improvements in the management and care of people with diabetes, including reducing variation is of great concern to this Government. We will put forward our plans in due course.

Nutrition: Surveys

Lord Rooker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how old were the blood samples used in the recent National Diet and Nutrition Survey published on 20 March, broken down by age, gender, and country of collection.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The blood samples analysed as part of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey to produce the United Kingdom, Scotland and Northern Ireland results for folate status published on 20 March were collected over four years between May 2008 and June 2012. Blood samples used to produce results for Wales were collected between July 2009 and June 2013. For all samples, analysis for serum folate was carried out in 2012-2013 and for whole blood folate in 2014.   The survey was designed to be representative of the UK population within each year and as such the distribution of blood samples by age and sex was approximately the same each year. The blood folate results reported in 2015 were based on analysis of 2,526 blood samples for serum folate and 2,475 samples for red cell folate. The breakdown by survey year, by age and sex and by country is shown in the tables below.   Survey YearSerum folateWhole blood folateYear 1 (2008/09)520455Year 2 (2009/10)626599Year 3 (2010/11)560557Year 4 (2011/12)741788Year 5 (2012/13)*7976Total2,5262,475 * Wales only   Age groupSerum folateWhole blood folate MaleFemaleMaleFemale1.5-3 years38 (M&F combined)36 (M&F combined)4-10 years12510812011011-18 years27925827425919-64 years56180155777865 years +150206144197   CountrySerum folateRed cell folate England1,2221,186Scotland618616Wales341328Northern Ireland345345Total UK2,5262,475

Flour: Dietary Supplements

Lord Rooker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any ministers have had discussions with ministers from other countries regarding the United Kingdom policy of mandatory fortification of flour with calcium, iron, niacin and thiamin.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Ministers have had no discussions with ministers from other countries regarding the United Kingdom policy of mandatory fortification of flour with calcium, iron, niacin and thiamin.

Food: Imports

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Food Standards Agency plays any part in the condemnation of food carried on heavy goods vehicles that are found to have carried unauthorised persons in the trailers.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Food Standards Agency receives notifications from the Border Force of potential contaminated food carried by goods vehicles and notifies the food business operator via their local authority. Under food law, in cases where contamination has potentially taken place, the decision as to whether foodstuffs are fit for consumption lies with the business operator, which is responsible for ensuring that any foodstuffs it places on the market are compliant with all relevant food safety and food hygiene legislation.

Food: Imports

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the cost of condemning food carried in vehicles transporting unauthorised persons is met by the supplier, the importer, the seller or the insurer.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The cost of condemned food contaminated by unauthorised persons is a commercial issue for the parties involved.

Food: Imports

Baroness Byford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether statistics on the nature and value of food condemned because of contamination by unauthorised persons travelling on the importing vehicle are gathered by any government department or agency.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Statistics on the nature and value of food condemned are not gathered by any Government department or agency.

Pain

Lord Luce: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is planning to publish guidelines on the treatment of chronic pain; and if so, when.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published several clinical guidelines on different health conditions which include the treatment and management of pain and chronic pain.   These include low back pain (CG88) and neuropathic pain (CG173). The clinical guideline on low back pain is currently being updated, with an expected publication date of November 2016. Copies of these guidelines have been attached.   NICE has been asked to develop a clinical guideline on pain management for young people and adults, but the schedule for this work has yet to be finalised. The provisional schedule will be made available on the NICE website in due course. 



NICE Guideline CG88
(PDF Document, 979.69 KB)




NICE Guideline CG173
(PDF Document, 2.48 MB)

Folic Acid

Lord Rooker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the reasons for the delay in delivery of data regarding blood folate level results in the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey, and whether that delay added to the cost of the Survey.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Blood folate analyses in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) were carried out by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) laboratories in the United States. The delay in delivery of results was due to the laboratory’s quality control procedure identifying a problem with the analysis for whole blood folate which could not be resolved quickly. Scientists at the CDC identified and resolved the problem and all samples were reanalysed for whole blood folate during 2014. The delayed results were published on 20 March 2015.   The cost of resolving the analytical problem and reanalysing the blood samples was borne by the survey contractors. There was no additional cost to Government.

Flour: Folic Acid

Lord Rooker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, when considering the issue of fortification of flour with folic acid, they plan to take into account the distinction between folic acid and methylfolate, and the gut’s role in converting folic acid and food folate to methylfolate.

Lord Prior of Brampton: In its 2006 report ‘Folate and Disease Prevention’ the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition concluded that overall there was insufficient data in humans to assess the long term effects of exposure to unmetabolised folic acid as a result of the limited capacity of the gut to convert folic acid into methylfolate (or 5-methyl tetrahydrofolic acid).

Notifiable Diseases: Detainees

Baroness Suttie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many cases or outbreaks of reportable diseases in prisons and immigration removal centres have occurred in each of the last three years.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Public Health England (PHE) receives reports from prisons and immigration removal centre on cases or outbreaks of reportable diseases.   The numbers of reportable single cases of infection per setting from 2012-2014 reported to PHE are presented in the table below.   Custodial settingYear 201420132012Prisons1,2081,630600Immigration Removal Centres603830Note: the increase in reported cases in prisons from 2012-2013 is due to improvements in reporting Hepatitis C infection. There were over 300 cases of hepatitis C reported during 2013.   The number of outbreaks of infection in prisons and immigration removal centres reported to PHE from 2012-14 are presented in the table below.   Custodial settingYear 201420132012Prisons262126Immigration Removal Centres321

Hepatitis

Lord Mancroft: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when NHS England's revised service specification for Hepatitis C networks is expected to be published.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Service Specification was published in June 2015. A copy is attached and is available at the following link:   http://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2015/06/hep-c-cirrhosis-polcy-statmnt-0615.pdf 



Hepatitis C Service Specification
(PDF Document, 468.78 KB)

Hepatitis: Drugs

Lord Mancroft: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what processes are in place to ensure that people living with Hepatitis C will be able to access new National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved treatments from 31 July 2015.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS England extended access to new oral treatments for patients with hepatitis C and cirrhosis at the beginning of June 2015. A copy of the related policy can be found on the NHS England website and accessed via the following link:   http://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2015/06/hep-c-cirrhosis-polcy-statmnt-0615.pdf   A copy of this document is also attached.   From 1 August this year, hepatitis C operational delivery networks will be in place across England to ensure that patients have access to treatment expertise via multi-disciplinary teams. 



Hepatitis C Cirrhosis policy statement
(PDF Document, 468.77 KB)

Stem Cells

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the research, recently published in Nature, into using stem cells to rid organs of mutant mitochondria without recourse to three-parent IVF; and whether it is their policy that human embryos should be destroyed if alternatives are available.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The research by the Centre for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy in Oregon, USA, published in Nature, is at a very early stage but may possibly offer hope of health improvement for those who already have a mitochondrial disease. The purpose of the mitochondrial donation treatment, which will be allowable through Regulations from 29 October 2015, is to prevent the transmission of serious mitochondrial disease from mother to child in the first instance.   The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 provides that embryos can only be used in research where the research is necessary and desirable and the use of embryos is necessary. However, that provision does not apply to treatment. Decisions about whether to use eggs or in vitro fertilisation embryos in treatment, including mitochondrial donation, are made according to clinical judgment, if authorised by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

Human Embryo Experiments

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many human embryos were experimented on or destroyed in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what are the cumulative figures since such procedures were made legal.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as amended (1990 Act), provides that human embryos created by in vitro fertilisation that are not transferred to a patient cannot be allowed to develop beyond a maximum of 14 days. The 1990 Act also provides that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) cannot licence research using human embryos unless the research is necessary or desirable for the purposes specified in the Act and the use of embryos is necessary. The HFEA has advised that the number of embryos allowed to perish in the last 12 months for which figures are available (1 July 2013 - 30 June 2014) is 174,316. In relation to the number of embryos allowed to perish since the 1990 Act came into force, the figures are as follows: YearEmbryos allowed to perish1990619918,164199223,035199327,466199432,176199537,270199647,808199748,024199857,427199977,269200085,938200188,039200296,377200396,309200498,3482005100,5472006108,0802007116,3422008112,0502009132,5362010155,5572011168,6132012166,6312013169,644Total2,053,656   This includes embryos that have been thawed and allowed to perish, either because they have reached the end of their permitted storage period or at the request of the patient, and those discarded in the course of treatment. The HFEA does not hold data in its register of the number of embryos experimented upon.

Anaemia

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to address the problems associated with the late diagnosis of pernicious anaemia, in the light of the results of the survey published in the British Nursing Journal in April 2014.

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they propose to alert medical practitioners to the severe and irreversible nerve damage that can occur when pernicious anaemia is misdiagnosed.

Lord Prior of Brampton: It is important that patients suffering from pernicious anaemia, the result of a vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency, receive a prompt and appropriate diagnosis. Pernicious anaemia develops gradually, and can cause a range of symptoms, including fatigue, lethargy, feeling faint and headaches, which vary from patient to patient. Because of the gradual progression of the condition, the variety of symptoms, which are shared with a range of other conditions, diagnosis at early onset can be challenging.   To support the diagnosis of pernicious anaemia, the British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH) has published Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Cobalamin and Folate disorders, which sets out that cobalamin status is the recommended first line diagnostic test. However, the guidance states that there is no gold standard test for the condition and makes it clear that the clinical picture of a patient is the most important factor in assessing the significance of the test results. This means clinicians should take into account all of the symptoms the patent is experiencing, their medical history, age and other relevant factors when considering the implications of a patient’s cobalamin status. The BCSH guidance highlights the risk of neurological impairment if treatment is delayed.  The BCSH operates independently of Department and NHS England and produces evidence based guidelines for both clinical and laboratory haematologists on the diagnosis and treatment of haematological disease, drawing on the advice of expert consultants and clinical scientists practicing in the United Kingdom. It would be for the BCSH, not the Department, to consider whether any adjustments to current best practice in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with pernicious anaemia were needed, including whether any new or additional tests were appropriate. A copy of the BCSH guidance document has already been placed in the Library and is attached.  More general clinical guidance on the diagnosis and management of pernicious anaemia can also be found on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Clinical Knowledge Summaries website. This is a freely accessible online resource that covers the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of pernicious anaemia, as well as potential complications of the condition. In addition to this, NHS Choices provides similar, though less technical, information on pernicious anaemia for the public. 



BCSH Guidelines pernicious anaemia
(PDF Document, 318.95 KB)

Employment: Disclosure of Information

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to lay regulations implementing sections 148 and 149 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015; and what plans they have to propose changes to existing regulations to bring student nurses in the National Health Service within the scope of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Government intends to bring forward regulations to bring Section 148 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 into effect from April 2016, and Section 149 by December 2015 subject to Parliamentary approval.   The Protected Disclosures (Extension of Meaning of Worker) Order 2015 (SI 2015/491) came into effect on 6 April 2015, bringing student nurses and student midwives into the definition of ‘worker’ for the purposes of Section 43K of the Employment Rights Act 1996.   This change affects those student nurses and student midwives who undertake work experience as part of a course of education or training approved by, or under arrangements with, the Nursing and Midwifery Council.   In line with the recommendation set out in the Freedom to Speak Up review the Department of Health intends to bring forward further secondary legislation to extend the definition to include other healthcare students.

Prostate Cancer: Diagnosis

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to improve early diagnosis rates for prostate cancer.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Through the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme (PCRMP), Public Health England (PHE) is working to raise awareness of prostate cancer in men.   The Programme is in place to ensure that men over 50 without symptoms of prostate cancer can have a prostate specific antigen test free on the National Health Service after a discussion with a general practitioner and consideration of an evidence based leaflet.   PHE is currently reviewing the PCRMP.

Pharmacy

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 14 July (HL1009), what reports the Department of Health has received in the last twelve months from the pharmaceutical industry about interruptions in the supply of drugs to United Kingdom pharmacies.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Reports from pharmaceutical companies about potential or impending medicines shortages are provided to the Department in confidence, as required by the joint Departmental/pharmaceutical industry guidance, Notification and management of medicines shortages. A copy of this document is attached. When advanced warning is received, we work with companies and others in the supply chain to explore the options for continued supply and many potential interruptions in the supply of medicines to United Kingdom pharmacies are avoided. When a shortage does occur, the Department expects companies to communicate with its customers and others as appropriate. 



Notification and management of medicines shortages
(PDF Document, 170.42 KB)

Folic Acid

Lord Rooker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the research report Preventions of Neural Tube Defects: A Cross Sectional Study of the Uptake of Folic Acid Supplementation in Nearly Half a Million Women, published by PLS ONE in February 2014, which showed uptake of folic acid to be declining.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The report showed that the proportion of women taking folic acid supplements before pregnancy (as recommended) fell from 35% in 1999-2001 to 31% in 2011-12. We are currently considering this information alongside a range of other relevant studies to inform a decision on the best way to improve folic acid intake in women of child bearing age. In the meantime, we continue to encourage women to take a folic acid supplement from before they are pregnant to the 12th week of pregnancy, and include this in all appropriate public health messaging.

Hospitals

Lord Rooker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will give details of all ministerial visits since 7 May to NHS hospitals between the hours of 9.00pm on a Friday and 9.00am on a Monday.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Secretary of State for Health and his Ministerial team have not undertaken any visits to National Health Service hospitals between the hours of 9:00pm on a Friday and 9:00am on a Monday.   Ministers visit many local services at weekends in their capacity as constituency Members of Parliament that are not recorded as ministerial visits, including organisations involved in the delivery of health and social care.

Food: Hygiene

Lord Rooker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will list the local authorities that have not joined the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme operated by the Food Standards Agency.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is a Food Standards Agency (FSA)/local authority partnership initiative operating in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.   The only local authority across the three countries not operating the scheme is Rutland County Council.   The FSA continues to encourage the Council’s participation so that its local businesses and local residents can benefit from the positive impact that the scheme is having elsewhere.

Motor Neurone Disease

Lord MacKenzie of Culkein: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what step they are taking to ensure appropriate and timely access to communication support for persons living with Motor Neurone Disease.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Since 1 April 2013, NHS England has been responsible for commissioning augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) aids for patients with complex disability, such as motor neurone disease. Prior to this, there was no national AAC service which resulted in variation in provision of specialised AAC services and inequitable access for patients.  As the commissioner of specialised AAC services, NHS England is committed to improving access to the specialist assessments and equipment. Over the past two years it has worked hard to assess the levels of specialised AAC provision and levels of need and agree contracts with providers to deliver the new, national service. NHS England has allocated a £15 million recurring budget for the commissioning of AAC services for 2015/16 which builds on a part year allocation provided in 2014/15. All 13 AAC providers are accepting referrals and assessments are being offered to patients. Priority is being given to patients who have a life limiting condition and providers are working to ensure patients have timely access to assessment and services.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Lord Patel of Bradford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the research published in July 2015 in Addiction on the payment by results drug recovery pilots, what advice they plan to issue to public health directorates on the commissioning of drug treatment services.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department of Health-funded independent evaluation of the drugs and alcohol recovery payment by results pilots programme has yielded several interim reports to date and is currently drawing to a conclusion. We will wait for this report to ensure that any advice is based upon the fullest and best available evidence.   The article published in Addiction is an early output from the evaluation, based on data collected during the first year of the drugs and alcohol recovery payment by results pilots programme. The final evaluation report, which is due in late August 2015, is expected to be published in late Autumn 2015 following an independent peer review process.

Food: Hygiene

Lord Rooker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it remains their policy to support the mandatory display of the Food Standards Agency Food Hygiene Ratings once every local authority has joined the scheme.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has responsibility for the Food Hygiene Ratings Scheme. The FSA favours mandatory display at food outlets in England and is gathering evidence to support this, including monitoring the impact of legislation introduced in Wales in 2013 which makes it mandatory for businesses there to display their ratings. The Government will consider this evidence carefully once it is available.

Food: Hygiene

Lord Rooker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to allow local authorities to charge for extra food hygiene inspections of food businesses that request an extra inspection following a poor score under the Food Standards Agency Food Hygiene Rating System.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Under the scheme operating in England and currently in Northern Ireland, food businesses requesting an extra re-rating inspection between planned inspections by the local authority are not charged. In Wales, where the scheme has a statutory underpinning, charges are made.   The Food Standards Agency is considering the introduction of charging in England for these extra requested re-rating inspections as part of the evidence gathering to support a case for mandatory display of ratings at food outlets.